Local battery party-line lockout system



Feb. 27, 1951 R. E. T. RINGKJOB ET AL 2,543,062

LOCAL BATTERY PARTY LINE LOCKOUT SYSTEM Filed Aug. 2, 1947 xmm F5050 20228 wEOFaEmmO O.

[CD016 OEOU LLDUNZU INVENTOR. RAGNAR ERLING TUXEN RINGKJOB WILLY POULIART 'BY A TTOR/VEV fiatentecl Feb 27, 1951 LOCAL BATTERY PARTY-LINE LOCKOUT SYSTEM Ragnar Erling Tuxen B-ingkjcb and Willy Pouli'a rt, Antwerp, Belgium, assignors to, Inter: national Standard Electric Corporation; New York, N. Y, a corporation of Delaware Application August 2; 1947-, Serial o. 755746 In. the Ne he lan January 2 seme 1, Public Law 690, Augu t-s, 194a Patentexpires January 24, 1960 1.0 Cla s. 1

This invention relates to telecommunication exchange systems, and more particularly to those having party-line service;

Objects of the invention are, to provide two party line service including revertive calling, separate metering,- and secrecy features for substations of the local battery type; without the presence of either A. C. or I). C. cur-rent on the'line during the conversation.

The difierentiation of the 'twoparties is made in the usual manner by the use of one wire signalling (subsets with grounded ringer and grounded magneto) each subset being represented in the exchange by a corresponding jack and drop. Theconnectio nof the second partys subset, jack and drop to the'party-line being reversed in relation to the first party.

Secrecy is ensured by associating with each subseti. e. on each of the subscriberspremisesan interlocking relay-pair, the lock-nut component of which carries two cut-off contacts for isolating the substation from the line. This lock-cut relay is operated over the wire used for signalling the other party, and is connected directly and permanently tot-he wi'reinquestion, whereas the unlocking component is-operated from and con:- necteddirectly and permanently to the wireused for signalling the associated substation. The unlocking relay is provided with a low resistance winding which is short-.circuited via a make con tact'of the relay itself, so that if both components of the interlocking relay=pair are'energised at the same moment, and the current is removed from both relays at the same moment, the lock=out re.- lay' will'be unlatched owing to the slower release of the unlocking relay.

Thus selection of one or other party is effected as follows, assuming for instance that the a wire is used for signalling the first party:

(a) An impulse on the a wirecuts out the'2d party (and brings in the'first party if the lat ter is isolated from the line).

(b) An impulse on the 1) wire cuts out the first party (and brings in the 2d party if the latter is isolated irom the line) (c) Animpulse given on both wires and discone tinned on both wires simultaneously brings both'substations' onto the party line;

2 quired wires by a group of relays individual per party line and located in the exchange.

Revertive calling is provided by means of a revertive call key in the operators common circuit, and by leaving the answering plug of the operators cord in the calling jack and not using the second plug; When the revertive call key is depressed, a preliminary impulse is sent on the signalling wire' of the wanted party bringing in the latters subset onto; the line and cutting out the calling party. This impulse is followed by a ring on the same wire thus calling up the wanted party, and the'ring is followed by an impulse C0171, nected to and discontinued on both wires simultaneously thus bringing in both parties.

The sequence of the above operations is ensured automatically by a group of relays in the operators'common circuit.

The above method of operation which does not necessitate the completion of the revertive call by means of the cordand 2d jack of the party line, avoids the presence of a talking current shunt on the line due to the a and b wires being crossed between the two line jacks.

Individual metering is ensured by using separate message registers controlled over the sleeve of the corresponding line jacks.

Busy conditionof the party line is always indicated to'the cuteout party by a signal operated locally over a make contact of the lock-put relay.

It is an advantage of the present arrangement that eachset' is connected to the two-party line via two break contacts of the associated locking relay, as compared'with prior party-line circuits in which each partys substation was connected to the two-party line proper over series break contacts of both interlocking relays, thus multiplying the number of contacts in the line and consequently the chancesoi having an open wire. This is the minimum number of contacts required to ensure secrecy.

Again, as a result of the aforementioned feature in the prior arrangements, the two-party line must pass in seriesov'er both parties prem. ises, since the interlocking relays must be located together on one of the subscribers premises order to avoid an excessivenumber of wires be tween the two parties substations.

In the present arrangement, the two-party line proper need not pass inseries via the subscribers premises, but may be branched out at any con venient point so as to maintain the line length at a minimum. 1

A further advantage of the present arrangeme t in hich each l ckin la s rectly associated with the corresponding subset, is that it allows the introduction of a busy signal in the party line set without any additional line wires. Prior party-line circuits do not foresee the adj unction of busy signals with the parties substations, and could not do so without increasing the number of wires between subsets.

In the present arrangement there is no switching between the interlocking relay-pairs of the two parties. These relays have therefore few contacts and give reliable operation.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, a description will now be given of one of its embodiments, reference being made for this purpose to the accompanying drawing, which shows a 2-party line arrangement designed to work in conjunction with a local battery exchange and catering for secret service, revertive calling and separate metering features.

The complete equipment comprises:

(a) on each of the subscribers premises:

A local battery substation indicated at In and ID with busy signal H and II and a mechanically interlocking relay-pair Al, BI and A2,

B2. The relays AI and A2 lock mechanically when operated and are only released by the operation of the corresponding relays BI and (1)) in the line circuit at the exchange:

Two calling drops, Cl and C2, corresponding line jacks, LJ I and LJ 2, and service meters and a group of three relays, Lc, Cp, and Dp.

(c) in the operators common circuit:

A group of three relays, Re, Sp, and Da, and

a key RRK required for establishing revertive calls.

Furthermore, the cord circuits are provided with a two-winding clearing drop Cl connected to ground at the middle point.

In addition to the 24 volt battery required for the operation of the relays in the exchange, it is necessary to have a common source of higher D. C. voltage required for signalling purposes. On the drawing this high D. C. voltage is shown to be provided by means of a rectifier [2 working from the main supply I 3. If required, however, this arrangement may be replaced by a high voltage D. C. battery of small capacity, the current consumption required for signalling being very reduced. 1

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION Ordinary call from subscriber to the exchange A subscriber wishing to originate a call removes his receiver !4, M from the switchhook l5, l5 and sends ringing current on one wire by means of the grounded magneto MGOI, MGOZ of his subset. If we assume, for instance, that the first party is originating the call, ringing will be sent out on the a wire, thus causing the calling drop Ci in the line circuit to function. The operator answers the call by inserting the answering plug Pg of the cord in the jack LJI, corresponding to the drop which has been operated. The fact of inserting the plug in the calling jack causes an impulse to be sent back on the a wire, thus energizing the lock-out relay A2 of the second party. This party is then completely cut out from the line and cannot interfere on the existing call. The busy signal on the subset which is cut out indicates that the line is busied by the other party.

When the calling subscriber has made known the wanted subscribers number, the city operator completes the call in the usual manner and conversation may take place.

The call is metered manually by depressing the MK key of the cord. The subscribers meter SMI will be energised, since the call has been answered by busying the line jack LJl.

When, at the end of conversation, the clear ing signal is given by the first party to release, the clearing drop CI in the cord operates and the city operator may remove the plug from the jack LJ I. The fact that the plug is removed causes an impulse to be sent out on both wires of the party line simultaneously thus causing the interlocking relay-pairs A-B to be unlocked; the energisation of the unlocking relays 3 continuing beyond that of the lock-out relays A, by reason of their self-closed slow-release windings. Both subscriber sets are again connected to the line and either of the two parties may originate a new call.

If the second party had originated the call, the ringing current sent out from his magneto MGOZ would have operated the calling drop C2 of the line circuit over the 23 wire and the operator would have answered the call by inserting the plug Pg of the cord in jack LJ2.

The fact of having inserted the cord plug in the line jack LJ2 would have caused an impulse to be sent back over the 1) wire in order to operate the lock-out relay AI of the first party, thus cutting him out from the line.

By removing the cord plug from the jack LJ2 at the end of the conversation, the D. C. impulse is sent out on both wires simultaneously just as in the case of a call originated by the first party in order to unlock the interlocking relaypair.

Incoming call to one of the parties When one of the parties must be called up from the local battery exchange, the operator inserts the cord plug Pg in the line jack corresponding to the party which must be called up. The fact of inserting the cord plug in the jack sends out, as explained for an outgoing call, an impulse on one wire thus operating the lockout relay A of the party which must be cut out. The wanted party is then rung in the usual manner but over one wire only, the return to ground being given in the called partys subset. In the exchange, the ringing machine or magneto must, of course, also be grounded for the return.

At the end of the call when the plug is removed irom the line jack, the interlocking relays are unlocked in the same manner as explained for an outgoing call.

Revertz've call In case one party, for instance, the first, wants to call up the second party of the same party line, he originates a call to the exchange in the same manner as an ordinary call. When this call is answered by the city operator, the calling party advises her that the second party of the line is required. The operator then without further manipulation of the cord, depresses the revertive ringing key RRk and rings back on the line. t the moment RRK key is depressed, an impulse is sent back on the b wire thus causing the look-out relay A! of the calling subscriber to be operated and the lock-out relay A2 of the second party to be unlocked by the energization of B2. The calling party is thus cut out from the line. As soon as the aforementioned impulse is over, ringing current is' 5. sent out on the 1) Wire thus causing the ringer of the second partys circuit set to function.

When key RRK is released, the ringing cur rent is removed from the line and an impulse is sent' out on both wires simultaneously, thus unlockingthe operated lock-out relay Al and placing both subsets in parallel on the line; (ionversation may then take place.

The end of the conversation is indicated by the first of the two parties to send the clearing signal-on theline thus causing the clearing drop in" the cord circuit to function. When the cord plug is removedfrom the line jack, an impulse is' sentout simultaneously on both wires as ex plained previously but this time without effect since both interlocking relays are already on looked.

CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION outgoing can from subscriber to city exchange When the first party removeshis receiver M from the switchhook l5 and turns the crank of his subset magneto NGOi, alternating current is sent out on the a Wire, to which are connected the unlocking relay Bl oi the first partys interlocking relay-pair, the look-out winding A2 of the second partys interlocking relay, and the calling drop Cl in the city exchange line circuit. The alternating current sent out on the line may, or may not, be sufficiently strong to energise relays Bi and A3, but whether these relays energise or not, is of no consequence provided that calling drop Cl functions, as will be seen hereafter.

The operator inserts the plug Pg inthe line jack LJl and depresses the listening key LK. When the plug Pg of the operators cord is in troduced into the line jack LJ l, a ground is given for the energisationof relay Dp via cp'i back.

Relay 131) when energised, causes the operation of relay La and also causes a D. C. impulse to be sentout on the a wire as follows: I). C. voltage from rectifier, dpZ front, back contact of line L12, cps back, ics front, to the a wire.

The voltage given by the aforementioned impulse is sufficiently high to cause the energisation of lo ck-out relay A2 on the secondpartys premises and unlocking relay Bl on the first partys premises.

When relay Lc has energised, the calling drops C and C2 are removed from the line and the circuit is closed for the energisation of relay C30. The latter relay, however, is slow energising sothat the D. C. impulse remains on the a wire as long as relay he is energised with relay Op de-energised. When relay Cp comes up, the line is switched over to the tip and ring contacts of the line jack LJl, the D. C. impulse is ended, and relay Dp remains energised over cpl front.

At the moment the D. C. impulse of the a wire is ended, relay A? remains mechanically locked up, thus disconnecting the second partys subset from the line. Relay B! on the first partys premises releases but the operation and release of relay Bl have no effect on the circuit operation since the look-out relay Al has not received any current.

When the call is completed by the operator, conversation may take place and the call is metered by depressing key MK thus causing the energisation of the suhcrihers meter SM! over the sleeve of jack LJ l and the cord sleeve.

At the end of the conversation when the clearmg drop C-l operates in the cord, the operator removes the cord plug Pg from the jack LJI, andground is removed at the bottom contact of the jack thus causing the de-ener'gisation of relay 010.

During the time that Cp is back and relay Lc remains energised under the control of the slow releasing relay D10, the high D. 0. Voltage is connected to both the a and 1) wires; mains supply I3, (1122 front, top back contact of LJl', 0102- back, =Z cl front, to b wire", and again, mains supply It,- dp2 front, top back contact of LJZ', c133 back, Z03 front, to a wire.

The four relays of the two interlocking relaypairs are energised, but the B relays, once they have closed their make contacts, are always slower to release'than the A relaysso that, when the D. C. impulse is disconnected from the a and b wires at the moment when relay Dp opens its contact 01192; both the A relays will be unlocked and will return to their inoperative positions.

Relay Lc de-energises a short while after relay Dz) has de-energised and during the slow releasing time of relay Lc' the line is short circuited and thus discharged before it is switched back to the calling drops Cl and C21 False operation of the calling drops is thus avoided.

A call originated the second party causes the circuit to function in a manner exactly simi lar to that described for the first party, except that the D. C. impulse, sent out at the moment the city operator plugs in the jack of the callingline, is given onthe 6 wire instead of on the a wire.

Call from exchange to one of the parties The circuit operation for such a call is exactly the same as that described above except that the operator seizes the wanted party without the calling drop having been operated.

Reoertive cdZ'Z When one of the parties, for instance the first, Wants to call up the second party of the 2party line, he originates a call in its usual manner and the city operator answers the call just like an ordinary call by inserting a cord plug Pg in the jack L51. The insertion ofthe cord plug causes an impulse to be sent out on the a wire as explained previously, thus locking up relay AZ- and isolating the substation of the secondparty. When, however, the operator has been advised that the wanted party is the second party of the Z-party line, she depresses the RRK key in her common circuit; at the same time ringing current with ground return is given on the wire connected to the contact 8193 front.

At the moment key RRK closes its lower contact, relays Da, Sp and Re energise in a manner similar to that explained for Dp, Cp and Lc in the line circuit, thus causing a D. C. impulse from the rectifier l2 to be sent out on one wire. In this case, however, it is the 1) wire over which the impulse is sent, the a wire being opened in the common circuit at the break contact of key RRK. The circuit is traced from the rectifier l2, Da front, Sp back, Rc front, LK operated, ring of plug Pg, ring of jack LJ I, C122 front, Lcl front, to the b wire.

The D. C. impulse which is sent out on the b wire causes the energisation of relays B2 and Al. The calling party is thus out out from the line and relay A2 is unlocked. When relays Sp and Re are energised, ringing current is sent 7' out on the b wire, and causes the ringer [6 of the second party to function: S123 front, Rc front, LK front, ring of plug Pa and jack LJI, C122 front, Lci front.

When key RRK is released, relays Da, Sp and R0 function in a manner similar to relays Dp, Cp and Lo for a release, so that a D. C. impulse is sent simultaneously on both wires, thus causing all four relays of the interlocking relaypairs to become energised and the relay Al to be unlocked at the moment the D. C. impulse is ended. Ringing may be repeated as often as required, each time key RRK is depressed, the calling party being cut out from the line and the second party being rung up.

The further operation of the circuit is similar to that described for an ordinary call.

Busy conditions sociated with each of said substations, each of said substations being bridged across the twowires of said system through back contacts of its associated relay, the look-out relay of one of said substations having its Winding connected to one of said wires and the lock-out relay of the other substation having its winding connected to the other of said wires, means at the exchange where said two wires terminate for sending a voltage impulse over the wire connected to the winding of one of said lock-out relays for op- A crating aid relay when a call originates at the substation associated with the other of said 'relays, means for automatically locking said lockout relays in operated condition when once operated, and means associated with each substation and under control of said exchange for unlocking said lock-out relays.

2. A two-wire party-line telephone system as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for unlocking the lock-out relays are a pair of relays each having its windin connected to one of the two wires to which its associated lock-out relay is not connected.

3. A party-line telephone system as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the interlocking relay-pair has one relay permanently connect- 8 ed between one wire of the line and earth, and the other relay permantly connected between the other wire of the line and earth.

4. A party-line telephone system as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that each subscriber is represented in the exchange by an individual jack and drop.

5. A party-line telephone system as claimed in claim 4 in which the means at the exchange for sending a voltage impulse over the wire con-. nected to one of the lock-out relays is operated when the jack associated with the substation containing the other lock-out relay is busied and means is provided for sending voltage impulses over both the wires or the line when the jack is freed for operating the unlocking relays of both substations.

6. A party-line telephone system as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the unlocking rclay of an interlocking relay-pair is made of slower release time than the look-out relay.

7. A party-line telephone system as claimed in 1, characterised in that the exchange com-. prises an operators common circuit which includes a revertive-call key, and means for causing a direct-current impulse to be sent over the appropriate wire of the line to lock out the calling subscriber when said key is depressed.

8. A party-line telephone system as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that means is provided for causing ringin current to be sent to the wanted subscriber when the revertive-call key is depressed.

9. A party-line telephone system as claimed in '3 claim 7, characterised in that means i provided for causing a direct-current impulse to be sent on both wires of the line to remove the lockout at both substations when the revertive-call key is restored.

10. A party-line telephone system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each substation is provided with a busy indicator operated over a make contact of the associated lock-out relay.

RAGNAR ERLING TUXEN RINGKJ OB. WILLY POULIART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

